Top 11 Weird Al Yankovic Albums
- CJ Tiernan
- Sep 26, 2025
- 8 min read
Updated: Oct 16, 2025
By CJ Tiernan
When you think of parodies, you think SNL on TV, Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker for movies (Airplane!, The Naked Gun, Hot Shots!) and "Weird Al" Yankovic for music. He has managed to lampoon the hit music of the day for preposterously long time. Listening to "Weird Al" is a joy, a delight, and fun for the whole family. Here is a list of my 11 favorite studio albums by "Weird Al."
Super Festivals from Ft. Lauderdale, USA, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
1. "Running with Scissors" (1999)
Best Songs
The parody of Don McLean's "American Pie" about Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace called "The Saga Begins" is not only the first and most famous track from this album, but it might be in the running as his most recognizable song period. Other winners on this album include "Grapefruit Diet," a parody of "Zoot Suit Riot" by Cherry Poppin' Daddies, "Pretty Fly for a Rabbi," a send-up of The Offspring's "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)," and "It's All about the Pentiums" spoofing Puff Daddy's "It's All About the Benjamins.
Reason it Rocks
My favorite song of all time by Weird Al is the final track on this album, an 11 minute and 22 second epic called "Albuquerque." It's not a direct parody, but written in the style of, among others, The Rugburn's song "Dick's Automotive." It's largely spoken word, apart from the chorus, and is a meandering tale with delightfully little rhyme or reason.
2. "Poodle Hat" (2003)
Best Songs
The first track is a parody of "Lose Yourself" by Eminem called "Coach Potato." It goes through and lists a bunch of TV shows that were on at the time. A parody of "Complicated" by Avril Lavigne called "A Complicated Song" and "Ode to a Superhero" a parody of Billy Joel's "Piano Man" about the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man.
Reason it Rocks
The second track on the album is a "Weird Al" original titled "Hardware Store." It's a delightfully fast-paced song extolling the virtues of having a new hardware store open in your town. There is a moment towards the end wherein he musically blows through a list of a bunch of different possible purchases at a break neck speed that I cannot get enough of.
3. "Straight Outta Lynwood" (2006)
Best Songs
"Trapped in a Drive-Thru," a parody of "Trapped in the Closet" by R. Kelly, is a long, meandering tale with a delicious ending. It draws out the difficulty of deciding what's for dinner, wringing it out for every drop. "Canadian Idiot," a send-up of Canada lampooning Green Day's "American Idiot" and a song about the pancreas in the style of a Beach Boys founder (Brian Wilson), aptly titled "Pancreas," also hits the spot.
Reason it Rocks
The unquestioned star of the show here is "White & Nerdy." An anthem for all of us who check both boxes, this spoof of Chamillionaire's "Ridin'" hits the spot. A call to arms to let your freak flag fly. It was also the only "Weird Al" song to every chart inside the top 10 (9th) on the US Billboard Hot 100.
4. "Bad Hair Day" (1996)
Best Songs
"Amish Paradise" is on this album. Spoofing Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" leads to one of "Weird Al's" best ever genre/subject mashups. I'm also a big fan of the spoof of the Presidents of the United States of America's "Lump" about Forrest Gump titled "Gump" and "Everything You Know is Wrong" in the style of They Might Be Giants.
Reason it Rocks
Step aside "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer." "Weird Al" would like a word. In the style of Soul Asylum's "Black Gold," "Weird Al" offers up "The Night Santa Went Crazy." As the title would suggest, Kris Kringle snaps and there is a handsome amount of Christmasy carnage.
5. "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D (1984)
Best Songs
This album starts with a bang. "Eat It," a parody to Michael Jackson's "Beat It," is the first track and was his second highest-charting single on the US Billboard Hot 100 (12th). I'm a sucker for "Mr. Popeil," a parody in the style of the B-52's about direct response marketing guru Ron Popeil. "You could even cut a tin can with it, but you wouldn't want to" gets me every time. I also love the send-up of the Police's "King of Pain" titled "King of Suede" and "Weird Al" original "Midnight Star" about the various headlines you see in the tabloids at the supermarket checkout line.
Reason it Rocks
The final track on this album is another "Weird Al" original called "Nature Trail to Hell." It lampoons both slasher flicks and the 3-D glasses fad that movie theaters have gone through several times now in their history. This album also features a cameo appearance of the late, great Don Pardo on the song "I Lost on Jeopardy," a spoof of "Jeopardy" by The Greg Kihn Band. The song is about the game show "Jeopardy!," of which he was the original announcer and the longtime announcer on SNL.
6. "Dare to Be Stupid" (1985)
Best Songs
Madonna's "Like a Virgin" was ripe for a parody and our boy Al delivered with "Like a Surgeon." "I was last in my class, barely passed" is not what one wants to hear from their surgeon, but remember that every medical class has someone who graduated last. Just let that fester during your next elective surgery. My favorite track on this album is "Dare to be Stupid." In the style of Devo, it delivers a delicious mantra for all of us introverts to rally around. I'm surprised "Weird Al" hasn't already produced a mockumentary entitled "Looking for Mr. Goodbar."
Reason it Rocks
Al's first foray into the Star Wars waters absolutely delivers. Coupled with "The Saga Begins," "Yoda," a parody of "Lola" by The Kinks, used to be a frequent set closer/encore for "Weird Al" concerts.
7. "Even Worse" (1988)
Best Songs
"You Make Me" in the style of Oingo Boingo and "I Think I'm a Clone Now" lampooning Tiffany's "I Think We're Alone Now" both hit on this album. That being said, the unquestioned headliner is the opening track, a spoof of "Bad" by Michael Jackson titled "Fat." He goes back to the parody-a-Michael-Jackson-hit-by-discussing-gluttony well and it's an absolute delight.
Reason it Rocks
My favorite track on this album is the final track and it's such a fun one because of its left-turn shock value. "Good Old Days," in the style of James Taylor, sounds like a down-home sweet and innocent song. Until it isn't. It makes me smile every time. "Melanie," a "Weird Al" original is in the same vein.
8. "Mandatory Fun" (2014)
Best Songs
This is "Weird Al's" last studio album (I'm not crying, you're crying) and he goes out with a bang. He has some really fun concepts like "Mission Statement," in style of Crosby, Stills & Nash, that drowns the listener in corporate jargon and "Sports Song" in the style of college fight songs that rambles through rooting for sports in a gloriously general manner.
Reason it Rocks
The best execution of these fun concepts is "Word Crimes," a parody of "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke (son of Growing Pains patriarch Alan Thicke). The song runs through grammar usage and its many pitfalls and misuses. As someone who only speaks English, I make a concerted effort to speak it as good as possible😁. As such, I am someone who harbors many of the grammatical pet peeves touched on in the song. It SPEAKS to me while also entertaining me.
9. "Alpocalypse" (2011)
Best Songs
"Skipper Dan," in the style of Weezer is so great. It follows someone who wants to be the pinnacle of acting but it's hard out there so they end up as a tour guide on the Jungle Cruise ride. "Party in the CIA," which may be his greatest effort in conveying both the subject of the song (CIA) and the source of the parody ("Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus) within the title. He also lampoons Lady Gaga with the one-two punch of using her song "Born this way" to list her many unique style choices with "Perform this Way."
Reason it Rocks
The second track on this album is in the style of The White Stripes and is about panelist regular on Match Game Charles Nelson Reilly. Titled "CNR," this song sings of a larger than life figure à la Chuck Norris facts. This is my second favorite "Weird Al" song behind "Albuquerque."
10. "Off the Deep End" (1992)
Best Songs
"Weird Al" original "When I Was Your Age" and a parody of "U Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer titled "I Can't Watch This" are strong entries. A send-up of Gerardo's "Rico Suave" called "Taco Grande" and a song about the middle of an Oreo aptly named "The White Stuff" parodying "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" by New Kids on the Block also represent on this album.
Reason it Rocks
The pièce de résistance here is "Smells Like Nirvana." A parody of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana, it largely lampoons the unintelligibility of Kurt Cobain's words in the song. Top notch!
11. "Alapalooza" (1993)
Best Songs
"Livin' in the Fridge" is one of "Weird Al's" very best. A parody of "Livin' on the Edge" by Aerosmith, it chronicles the aftermath of leaving leftovers to their own devices. "Franks's 2000" TV" in the style of R.E.M. and "Bedrock Anthem," a Flintstones song parodying Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Under the Bridge" and "Give It Away." I'm also a glutton for "Weird Al" original "Talk Soup."
Reason it Rocks
Jurassic Park was the biggest movie released in 1993. "Jurassic Park" was also the best song "Weird Al" released that year. It was a parody of "MacArthur Park" by Richard Harris. Let's break this down. "MacArthur Park" is the ridiculously delicious song that prattles on about someone leaving a cake out in the rain. Even more pressing: this Richard Harris is the same Richard Harris that played Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter films. [Insert exploding mind emoji here]
Final Thoughts
"Weird Al" had a career that spanned an incredible length of time. He has touched a number of different genres and styles, both timeless and incredibly moment-in-time. I've always gotten joy listening to him, ever since I was first introduced to him by my childhood best friend's older brother. This might be an overly broad statement, but I feel like everyone was introduced to "Weird Al" via a big brother. "Weird Al" ended up releasing 14 total studio albums. Below is a quick list of the 3 albums I left off my list. Please feel free to share your list in the comments.
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